Rail anchor



Sepp z2, 1925. 1,554,620

R. A. BLAIR AAAAAAAA 0R Patented Sept. 22, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,554,629. PATENT OFFICE.

ROLANDIS A. BLAIR, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE I? & IVI COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

RAIL ANCI-IOR.

Application lecl February 23, 1924. Serial No. 694,563.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RoLANDrs A. BLAIR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort ayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Anchors, of which the following is `a specification.

My invention relates to devices for preventing the longitudinal creep of railroad rails, these devices being commonly called rail anchors, anti-Creepers or rail stays.`

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of a rail anchor of simple and compact construction, inexpensive to manufacture, which will maintain a reliable hold on the rail as against the tendency of the device to become loosened by vibration or other disturbing influences, and which may be quickly and conveniently put in place on the rail, or removed therefrom, if occasion requires.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a rail anchor so constructed that it may be removed and replaced several times without imparing its holding power.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a two-piece rail anchor so constructed that the principal part thereof can be used, with rails having bases differing considerably in width or contour, by making the other part of the proper length and thickness.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a two-piece rail anchor so constructed that its parts can only be applied to the rail base when they are positioned in the intended relation on the rail base.

lt is another object of my invention to provide a rail anchor adapted to prevent longitudinal creep of railroad rails in both directions.

The invention consists in the novel arrangements, constructions and devices tobe hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out the above-stated objects and such other objects as will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a device embodying the principles of my invention and applied to a section of rail;

Fig. 2 is an end view, on a reduced scale, of the device when applied to the rail;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the parts of the device; and

. Fig. t is a perspective view of the other i or jaw member of the device.

Like characters of reference designatelike parts in the several views.

Referring now to the drawings, the embodiment therein illustrated includes a plate member 7 adapted to extend substantially transversely under and to bear against the bottom of the rail base. The extremities of the member 7 are preferably turned up to provide projections 8` and 9 adapted to engage the edges of the respective rail base flanges 10 and 11 .which prevent slippage of the member 7 transversely relative to the rail base. A member or device 12 made from a slightly resilient steel bar, rectangular in cross-section, is formed or bent so as to provide a jaw 13, adapted to extend over one. of the rail base flanges, and a jaw 14 adapted to extend under the member 7 The jaws 13 and 111 of the member or device 12 are so formed that the normal distance between them, when thedevice is free of the rail base and plate member, is considerably less than the thickness of that part of the base flange and the plate member embraced by them, consequently the device 12 must be distorted and its jaws 13 and 14E forced apart when the device is applied to the rail.

In applying the device to the rail the plate member 7 is first positioned under the rail base close to one side ofa tie. The member 12 is then'positioned with its jaw 13 bearing on the top side of one of the rail base flanges and its jaw 111 bearing against the bottom of the plate member. The connected end of the member 12 is then struck with a sledge and the memeber is 'driven transversely of the rail which forces the jaws apart and causes them to take a reliable grip on the plate member and the rail base flange. It will be noted that the jaws 13 and 111 are relatively. short as compared with the width of the rail base, consequently, the member12 is very rigid. Therefore, the jaw 13 exerts a powerful downward pressure against the top of the rail base flange and the jaw 14texerts a powerful upward pressure against the bottom of the plate member. The tendency of the device to return to its original shape results in a strong reliable gripping action on the rail base which is ample to prevent any slippage of the anchor longitudinally of the rail in either direction, notwithstanding thev disturbing influences to which the device is subjected due to the passage of heavy rolling stock and changeable weather conditions. The plate member 7, on its bottom side, is preferably provided with a transversely disposed shoulder 15 and the extremity of the jaw 14 is offset upwardly to provide a similarly extending projection 16 which snaps over said shoulder when the anchor is applied to the rail and effectively prevents reverse transverse movement of the device 12 relative to the plate member. The projections 8 and 9 Aof the plate member bearing against the edges of the respect-ive base flanges prevent any transverse movement of the plate member relative to the rail base.

In order to prevent longitudinal movement in either direction of the member 12 relative to the plate member 7, said member 7 is preferably made slightly wider than the member 12 and the member 7 is provided with marginal ribs 17bet-ween which the projection 16 slips when the anchor is applied to the rail. lVhen the members are 1n proper relation on the rail, the edges 18 of the member 12 bear against the inside surfaces of the respective ribs 17 and prevent any relative slippage of the members 7 and 12 longitudinally of the rail. The interpositioning of the plate member 7 between the rail base and the lower jaw provides a wider vfoot piece to bear against the tie than would be the case if the lower jaw of the member 12 were in direct contact with the rail base. It will be obvious that the member 12 in conjunction with suitable plate members may be used with rails, the base flanges of which differ widely in width, thickness and contour. In Fig. 1 the anchor is shown in full lines as being applied to a rail, the base flanges of which are relatively thick and wide, the plate member 7 being relatively thin and long, and in dotted lines as being applied to a rail, the `base flanges of which are relatively thin and narrow, in which case Athe plate member is made relatively thick and short. By varying the thickness of that part of the plate interposed between the lower jaw 14 and the rail base the jaw member 12 may be made to grip the base'fiange close to its outer edge, close to the vertical central web of the rail or atany desired intermediate position; the thickness of the aforesaid part of the plate member, obviously, determines the location of the shoulder 15, other thingsbeing equal. The jaw member- 12 is suitable for all ordinary sizes and contours of rail bases; it may be ma'de, therefore, in large quantities which obviously'reduces manufacturing costs to a minimum.

The ungripped end of the plate member is preferably made relatively thin to keep down the weight of the anchor to a minimum and to make it easier, when removing the anchor, to insert a tool between the end of the lower jaw 14 and the plate member. The extremity of the lower jaw is preferably provided with a beveled surface 19 to facilitate entry of the tool. To remove the anchor it is only necessary to pry down the end of the jaw 14 and drive the member 12 backwardly off the rail base.

The anchor is of simple and compact construction and inexpensive to manufacture. It may be readily removed from the rail and reapplied. It normally bears against a cross tie and is embedded in the ballast of the road bed so as to effectively hold a rail from longitudinal slippage in either direction. The holding power of the anchor compared to the amount of metal used is very great. The anchor can only be applied to the rail when the two parts are in their intended relationship on the rail base which is a matter of considerable importance with a two-piece device because of the unskilled labor usually employed on track work.

I do not intend to limit my invention to the details of construction shown and described, except only in so far as certain of the appended claims are specifically so limited,

Aas it will be obvious that modifications may be made without departing from the principles of my invention.

I claim: Y

1. A. devicefor preventing the longitudinal creep of railroad rails, comprising a plate adapted to extend transversely under the rail base and having upstanding projections adapted to engage the vertical edges of the respective base flanges, and a member having upper andlower jaws adapted, respectively, to extend transversely over one of the rail base flanges, and under said plate, the distance between the jaws of said member, when the latter is free of the rail and said plate, being -less than the thickness of that part of the base flange and the plate embraced by said jaws.

2. A device for preventing the longitudinal creep of railroad rails Vcomprising al plate adapted to extend transversely under the rail base and having on its top sideupstanding projections which normally engage the vopposite vertical edges of the rail base and on its bottom side a downwardly extending shoulder, and a gripping member having upper and lower jaws adapted, respectively, to extend transversely over one of the rail base flanges and under said plate, the distance between the aws of said member, when the latter is free of the rail and said plate, beingless than the thickness of that part of the base flange and the plate embraced by said jaws, said lower jaw having an upstanding shoulder portion adapted to engage the shoulder of said plate when the device is applied to a rail. y

3. A device for preventingthe longitudinal creeping movement of railroad rails, com

prising a rail base embracing member adapted to be applied without distortion to its normal operative position on a rail, and a gripping member which bears against the upper surface of the rail base and engages said embracing member.

4. A device for preventing the longitudinal creeping movement of railroad rails, comprising a rail base embracing member adapted to be applied without distortion to its normal operative position on a rail, and a resilient gripping member which bears against the upper surface of the rail base and engages said embracing member.

5. A device for preventing the longitudinal creeping movement of railroad rails, comprising a one piece rail base embracing member adapted to be applied without distortion to its normal position on a rail base, and a resilient gripping member which bears against the upper surface of the rail base and engages said embracing member.

6. A device for preventingl the longitudinal creeping movement of railroad rails, comprising a rail base lembracing member adapted to be applied without distortion to its normal operative position on a rail, and a resilient gripping member adapted to be driven into gripping engagement with the upper surface of the rail base and into locking engagement with said embracing member.

7 A device for preventing the longitudinal creeping movement of railroad rails, comprising a rail base embracing member adapted to be applied without distortion to its normal operative position on a rail, and a gripping member having jaws spaced apart normally insufficient to receive the rail base and said embracing member, whereby the jaws of said gripping member are spread apart when said member is driven to its gripping position.

8. A device for preventing the longitudinal creeping movement of railroad rails, comprising a plate formed with means for engaging the opposite edges of a rail base, and adapted to be applied to its normal operative position on the rail without distortion, and a member having upper and lower jaws adapted to be driven transversely of the rail into gripping engagement with the upper surface of the rail base and into locking engagement with the under surface of said plate.

9. A device for preventing the longitudinal creeping movement of railroad rails, comprising a plate formed with means for engaging the opposite edges of a rail base, and adapted to be applied to its normal operative position on the rail without distortion and formed with a shoulder, and a gripping member having upper and lower jaws adapted to be driven transversely of the rail into gripping engagement with the upper surface of the rail base and into lock ing engagement with said shoulder.

l0. A device for preventing the longitudinal creeping movement of railroad rails, comprising a plate formed with means for engaging the opposite edges of a rail base, and adapted to be applied to its normal operative position on the rail without distortion and formed with a shoulder, and a gripping member having upper and lower jaws, adapted to be driven transversely of the rail into gripping engagement with the upper surface of the rail base and provided with a shoulder adapted to snap into engagement with the shoulder of said plate; said plate being formed with means for preventing the displacement of the gripping member with relation to the plate longitudinally of the rail.

11. In devices for preventing the longitudinal creep of railroad rails, a multiplicity of similar rail embracing members each adapted to be applied without distortion t-oits normal position embracing the bottom and side edges of a rail-base, these members being of various sizes to it various configurations of rail-bases, and a multiplicity of resilient gripping members all of a single standard size, any one `of which is adapted to be applied so as to bear against the upper surface of a. rail-base and the lower surface of one of the embracing members, thus completing one anti-creeping unit.

12. In devices for preventing the longitudinal creep of railroad rails, a multiplicity of similar rail embracing members each adapted to be applied without distortion to its normal position embracing the bottom and side edges of a rail-base, these members being of various sizes to fit various configurations of rail-bases, and a multiplicity of resilient gripping membersof a single standard size, each having upper and lower jaws adapted to extend in gripping relation respectively over the rail-base flange and under any one of said plates, thus completing one anti-creeping unit.

ROLANDIS A. BLAIR. 

